Crimson Kiss
by Cyberbaby
Summary: trapped in a tunnel will they make it...short story. last chapter posted.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay sorry guys about the lack of updates on my stories. I'm having trouble writing them right now and I don't want to just update chapters that aren't good because well I don't like giving out bad chapters so I've decided to take a break from all my stories and start this mini one, it'll be short and if I get enough reviews on this one than I'll come back on my other stories if not than I'll take a hiatus for a while on writing all together. I'm not trying to pressure anyone to comment and all my stories will be finished it just may take a while so I'm just writing this one for now and like I said it'll be short and depending on how many people like it the sooner I'll post on my other stories. Thanks for reading and supporting me through all my crazy ideas and stories, you guys are the best...now on with the story.**

Chapter One

The insistent buzzing woke the sleeping brunette from her peaceful dreams, groaning as light protruded through the half closed blinds right into her closed eyes making the black seem less dark. Turning over, getting tangled in covers, she slams her hand down on the clock finally silencing the noise. Lying back down on her back opening her tired eyes and blinking several times to clear away the haziness of sleep as she stared up at the ceiling thinking about how her life never seemed so confusing before.

Her cell phone rang twice before she managed to make her way out of bed to answer it, "Hello...yeah babe I'll be there in a few...okay see you than...love you too." She hung up and tossed the phone on the side table, scratching her neck as she made her way into the shower.

Thirty minutes later, showered and dressed in faded blue jeans that hugged her slender athletic hips along with her favorite band tee shirt that stopped high enough to show off her chiseled abs, she was on her way to her girlfriend's house to pick her up for school. Pulling up in front of the nice two story home, nothing compared to her mansion, but she'd loved to spend more time here than at her own house because that was what it was a house not a home like her girlfriend lives in. Warming her hands by the heater before got out of the car, it was chilly this morning but nothing to bad for the LA weather but still she was a polite and honking a horn to call your girlfriend out from the house was just plain idiotic so she braved the cold and ran up to the door knocking three times than waiting.

The door swung open to reveal a black hair beauty, her brown eyes shining back with happiness to see the girl she was falling in love with day by day. Ashley racked her eyes over the form in front of her appreciating the skirt the girl had chosen to wear that matched the blouse which showed just the right amount of cleavage. Light make up and her hair dancing around her shoulders, "Hey," she breathed out letting the air around her lips grow white as gravity took the words to the sky.

"Hey," she breathed back leaning and pressing her cold moist lips against the other girls, "Come on it's cold," Ashley spoke when they pulled apart as she took her girlfriend's backpack slinging it over her shoulder, cupping their hands together tugging her toward the car which was still running so that it was warm and cozy inside.

"Are we picking up Spence today?"

"Nah she texted me last night saying her brother was taking her to school," Ashley sighed. Spencer Carlin had been her best friend for as long as she could access her memories, they'd share everything and knew everything about each other. When Ashley came out last year Spencer was fine even went to gay bars with her friend but about six months ago when Ashley started dating Tracy Wright the two had started fighting more and more and slowly the friendship began to break apart until now where they hardly talk anymore.

"What's up with her?" Tracy asked fiddling with the radio knob trying to find the perfect station.

"Honestly Trace I don't know, she's distant lately and every time I try and talk to her we end up getting into a fight." Tracy could hear the sadness in Ashley's voice and swore she could see tears wanting to escape, reaching over she took the brunette's hand off the steering wheel clutching it between her own.

"Don't worry sweetie she'll come around," she assured.

Ashley glanced over at her girlfriend, "Really? You think so?"

"Yea I do," she leaned over placing a soft chaste kiss to the girl's lips pulling away only when a honk sounded from behind them reminding them that they were sitting in a car stopped at a red light. Ashley flipped the guy off behind her before speeding off toward King High.

"So are you ready for a fun filled day at the science museum?" Tracy asked taking her back pack from Ashley's hands.

"Yep," sarcasm dripping from that one word, today Mrs. Benson's class was traveling to Westmont Astronomy Museum for some boring lecture about stars and things related to the stars, the only thing to make it interesting was that Spencer was in the class as well so she'd have time to see if she could get the blond to spill her guts about what was bothering her so much that she tried to avoid her.

"Don't sound excited there Ash," Tracy laughed nudging her girlfriend.

"You try to get excited about having to listen to some old guy talk about dead stars if I wanted to listen about that I'd Google it from home."

Tracy raised an eyebrow, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Dead stars, celebrities, never mind," Ashley chuckled seeing how her joke went over the girl's head and now that she thinks about it the joke wasn't really all that funny.

"Okay, I have class so see you when you get back." Tracy kissed Ashley than with a wink skipped off to her class.

Taking a deep breath Ashley headed for the bus loading zone. Once there she saw about fifteen other students milling around waiting for the teacher to arrive and tell them to mount up. Brown eyes scanned the crowd in search of her favorite blond which she spotted almost instantly. Smiling she saw that Spencer, who was wearing black jean pants with a dark blue t-shirt bringing out her eyes and her signature baseball cap over her semi long blond hair, was learning back on a bench listening to her ipod lost in a world all her own, Ashley watched. This was the best part about Spencer, the girl was exceptionally beautiful even she saw that but catch the teen in a peaceful state where she thinks she's alone and her natural self comes out well it's a sight to behold to see the innocence still lurking behind those baby blue eyes.

Walking as casually as she could up to the young teen, reaching out she yanked one of the ear buds out of Spencer's ears, "What the f...oh hey Ash," she smiled after realizing it was her friend.

Ashley sat down after moving her friend's back pack to the ground, "So Spence..."

"So Ash?"

"Where you been lately?" she asked.

Spencer bit her bottom lip, a nervous habit she developed in the third grade when she was chosen as the lead role in The Cinderella play, "Around..."

"Look can we talk?" Ashley shifted uncomfortably just wanting to get this out and over with so she could get her best friend back.

"No," Spencer spoke clearly upset with the heavy tone of Ashley's voice, "There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes there is," Ashley grabbed her wrist making the blond stay put instead of run off liked she'd been doing for the past six months and Ashley was sick of it, "Ever since I started dating Tracy you've been I don't know unavailable."

"So I have things to do," she spoke quietly and Ashley could tell that even she didn't believe what she was saying.

"I'm sure you do but..."

"No but," she cut me off yanking her wrist from my hand, "You have Tracy so I don't have to be around you twenty four seven I have my own life too you know." She bit out harshly.

"I know you have your own life,"

Again she cut me off, "Really cause right now it sounds like your upset because I don't come running to you any more. I'm a big girl now Ashley so back off!" she stormed away once she realized the teacher was letting students board the bus.

Rolling her eyes Ashley grabbed both her back pack and Spencer's who left hers lying on the ground in her rush to get away. On the bus Ashley walked over to the blond tossing her bag at her than continued on her way to the back of the bus without waiting for a thank you she was sure wouldn't come. Laying her head on the glass, closing her eyes she tried to remember the last time Spencer and her had a decent non fighting conversation but she couldn't which made her really wish she had her best friend back instead of this girl she hardly knew.

XXXX

"Spencer please talk to me?" Ashley whispered yet again. The lecture had been going on for at least an hour now and the brunette could care less, she'd made her mind up to get Spencer to talk to her one way or another. Instead of a reaction all she got was avoidance as the blond stared at the man in an over sized white coat talking in front of them, "Spencie pwease?" she pouted.

"No now shut up before you get us in trouble," Spencer shot back with out looking at her.

"Promise to talk to me and I will," the blond shook her head but remained silent. Ashley ripped a piece of paper from her notebook, tearing a piece off and rolling it in her fingers forming a nice sized ball before tossing it at her friend the offending material bouncing of the back of the teen's baseball cap before falling to the floor, "Promise me?" she whispered right in to Spencer's ear making her tremble as hot air danced around her ear lobe but she still said nothing. Again Ashley threw another ball of paper than another and another.

"STOP!" Spencer yelled out turning around to face Ashley with heated blue eyes.

"Ashley, Spencer, bus now!" Mrs. Benson pointed to the doors.

XXXX

"Look what you did now?" Spencer huffed flopping down on one of the bus seats in the middle of the vehicle.

"Me?"

"Yeah you, if you would have just left me alone we'd still be in there."

"If you would have talked to me than it wouldn't have happened." Ashley shot back sitting across from the blond.

"There is nothing to talk about!" Spencer growled.

Rolling her eyes, "Yes there is. There is something bothering you, why don't you like Tracey?"

"Huh?" the question coming out of left field for Spencer, "Who said I don't like Tracey?"

"No one but I mean what else can it be? Ever since I started dating her you don't want to hang out, your always making comments about her and won't hang with the both of us."

Spencer lowered her head, she didn't want Ashley to think she hated her girlfriend, Tracey was a nice girl and treated Ashley with the respect and love that she deserved but Spencer wanted to be the girl who did that for her. The minute Ashley came out to her it was during a conversation about who Ash was crushing on and for a moment Spencer had hoped it was her but the minute Ashley said it was Tracey well, she'd shut down emotionally. Spencer had gone over to tell Ashley herself that she is gay and in love with her but than finds out instead that Ashley is gay and likes someone else. Immediately she felt like the brunette didn't and would never love her in a way that she loved her and being around them or even just Ashley was just to hard. So she pretends to be straight for everyone else's benefit while slowly dying inside herself.

"See you can't even defend yourself, Tracey is a nice girl why don't you like her?" Ashley pleaded scooting closer to the edge of her seat bringing her a bit nearer to her friend.

"I like her okay,"

"No you don't Spence you can't even look me in the eye and say that."

"Ashie don't...please?" Spencer pleaded hoping that by throwing in the child hood nickname would soften her up enough to drop the conversation but it didn't, instead it brought Ashley across the isle to sit in the same seat. Spencer shifting away but was now pinned between a warm body and a cold metal wall.

"Don't what Spencie, huh? Care about you because I do and I always will." Ashley reached over brushing loose hair back behind Spencer's ear and under the girl's baseball cap.

Spencer pulled away, "If you care you'd drop it."

"No I'd bring it up which is what I'm doing, God Spencer don't you realize your hurting me?" Ashley asked sliding a few inches away making the blond miss the heat of Ashley.

"I'm hurting you...I'm...hurting...fuck you!" Spencer spat out regretting it instantly the moment the words escaped her lips. She knew it wasn't Ashley's fault and she shouldn't take it out on her but she was so tired of keeping these feelings locked away deep inside her, of feeling empty and alone no matter how many people surrounded her. She was sick of worrying herself so much with indecision or her parents finding out about her being gay that it made her nauseous enough to throw up almost every night. And she was tired of not being able to go to Ashley for help because the girl was part of the problem, "I'm sorry..."

"Save it, I'm tired of trying Spencer...so whatever." Ashley threw her hands up and sat in the other seat across the isle yet again leaving Spencer to stare out her window wiping the few tears that managed to leak out when she realized that her friend was no longer her friend, that she'd pushed Ashley away for good now. Her heart skipped irregularly as she heard Ashley giggle, glancing up she saw the brunette was texting someone, probably Tracey. She remember when those giggles and smiles were for her and her only, taking a deep breath she tried to push the queasiness of her stomach as she laid her head on the cool glass.

"Oh," a voice interrupted their silence. Spencer and Ashley glanced up at the same time to see the bus driver staring at them, "I didn't know anyone was on here." When he noticed that they weren't going to say anything he continued, "I was heading out for some lunch but..." sighing he clicked his tongue as he looked out the doors than back at the girls, "I'm not suppose to leave with students on the bus but I skipped breakfast. Look if I buy you something to eat can we keep this our little secret?"

"Sure," Ashley shrugged not really caring as she was hungry as well. He glanced over to the blond whose forehead winkled in thought as she chewed her bottom lip, blue eyes danced from the brunette to the man standing in front of them, back and forth unsure of how to respond, she didn't like getting in trouble and if this guy wasn't suppose to leave with students on board than it probably wasn't a good idea but than again she was hungry and would rather eat out than her paper bag lunch, "We're fine with it."

Spencer looked to Ashley who answered for her just like most of the other times the blond was indecisive about something but before she could say thank you the bus driver spoke again, "You sure?" he directed to Spencer who turned to look at him again, still biting her lip she turned to Ashley for a hint of what to say, the brunette nodded than went back to texting, "Yo Blondie you okay with it?"

She nodded her head earning a smile and wink from the bus driver, "Cool...thanks ladies and don't worry we'll be back in time. No one will know we ever left." He sat down starting the bus up and pulling out of the parking lot.

The bus was silent both girls now that Ashley put her cell phone away stared out the window watching the cars and scenery pass by. Spencer wanted to say something, break the uncomfortable quietness but not knowing what to say while Ashley sat and waited, sure she was pissed with Spencer but if they girl broke down and finally talked to her, told her what was wrong than she'd listen but she wouldn't make it easy for the girl.

"So where do you want to eat?" the driver asked as the bus entered the West 23rd Tunnel surrounding them in darkness except the flicker of light provided from the lamps on the walls of the tunnel.

"Any where is fine," Ashley spoke for both of them knowing if Spencer had a choice it could take all day. She always thought it was funny that Spencer had the ability to choose things in difficult situations and anything mundane as a place to eat and she'd be lost in the thousands of choices unable to pick.

"Alrighty then," he clicked his tongue again as he thought of a place to go and watched the road ahead.

Licking her lips Spencer turned to glance at Ashley who was involved in watching out the window again, "Ash?" she spoke not knowing what she was going to say but needing to do something to fix the relationship even if she'd only ever have the girl as a friend at least Ashley would be in her life, she'd allow herself to die inside just to be near the girl and that frightened her more than anything and she knew if Ashley knew that well Ashley would probably send her packing to some crazy ward or something.

Ashley turned to her friend happy that Spencer finally came to her, finally spoke and hoped she was ready to tell her what was wrong, "What?"

Screeching metal caught their ears at the same time, the bus driver yelled hold on as he swerved the steering wheel in several directions. Neither knew what was going on, busting glass and loud crashes echoing inside the tunnel, sparks flying around making it look like a strobe light was flashing away. Primal screams jumped from person to person inside all the different cars, the bus flipped on its side. Brown locked with blue as the bus tipped, fear mirrored on both faces before darkness overtook them both...

TBC.


	2. Chapter 2

Head pounding, body aching Ashley groaned to life. Her brown eyes blinked open trying to clear the blurriness out, taking a deep breath coughing out the dust that had filtered into her lungs. Looking around she saw that the bus was tipped over reminding her of the bus driver who'd yelled out for them to hold on, shifting on the bed of metal that she now resided on wasn't a good idea. Even in the darkness of the tunnel, no longer filled with even the flashing lights on the wall, she saw the white of her bone sticking out of her leg. Tears welled up flowing down her dirt covered face, blood pooled around her wounded leg and dripped from a cut above her right eye making it slim down her face swallowing she tasted the copper in the blood.

"Spencer!" she choked out no more than a bruised whisper. She waited for a minute which felt like an eternity but no response was echoed back. Glancing back at her injured leg she knew she had to do something, she'd spent enough time with Paula at the hospital serving community time for stealing a pair of earrings along with Spencer, "Spence!" her voice rose a bit as panic set in.

Still she didn't answer back, sighing Ashley sat back against the wall trying to stop the tears that wanted to fall from her brown eyes. Reaching over she grabbed two metal rods that held a seat in which broke off during the accident, searching she found a seat ripped in half. Leaning over the best she could she ripped a thread off the seat, placing the objects near her leg she took a deep breath, in and out, getting her mind and body ready. Laying her hands on either side of her broken leg, closing her eyes afraid to look she twisted it, "AHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed as pain rippled from her wound up her thigh and hip seeming to continue to crawl like little bugs up through her spine and even downward to her numbing toes. Sweat glistened off her flesh as she collapsed in a heap of mush, her muscles not wanting to move but she forced her self up placing the two metal rods on both sides of her leg than tying the thread around it to hold it still.

"Sp..." her throat closed up. All the pain and exhaustion catching up making it hard to form words through her dried up mouth. Glancing to the front of the bus than to the back, either way it was twisted and broken. Running her fingers through her auburn hair which got tangled as she tried to pull out, rolling her eyes she reached into her pocket and pulled out a pony tail quickly pinning her hair back. Turning on to her hands and knees minus her left leg which was stretched out since she can't bend it due to her make shift splint. She started crawling toward the front of the bus, pushing past broken seats and going under seats still attached, wincing every time she dragged her left leg barely able to lift it over the debris.

Finally she came to an impasse, a seat in the middle of the isle. Shifting so most of her weight landed on her right side as she sat down she clutched the heavy object in her hands pushing and pulling, twisting and shaking anything to get it to move, finally with a strong tug the seat fell away toward the door of the bus, Ashley screamed as the body of the bus driver fell on top of her lifeless pushing her back on the floor. As soon as the scene settled she found her self pinned under the kind man who was taking them to lunch, his glossy gray eyes stared at her as a trail of blood leaked from his mouth. Shaking she pushed him off watching him roll away toward the seat she'd worked so hard to move just minutes ago.

"Ash?" her name sounded so far away, turning her head squinting her eyes toward the back of the bus searching for a sign of her friend.

"Spencer?" she called hoping she wasn't dreaming and that her friend was in deed calling out to her but once again she was met with silence. Determination set in as she dragged herself as fast as she could toward the back of the bus, under and around seats, over the debris of broken glass and warped metal, "Spencer?"

Once she got passed the spot she had started from in the beginning she noticed that several seats and crisscrossed with each other making a small fort, she looked around until she saw a small hole, the only way inside the closed off fortress. Crawling her way up the mountain of seats she slid inside, her good leg going first than her body and finally her injured leg until she was sitting just inside the hole. Gasping she saw a sight that made her bones freeze and her mind to panic.

Spencer's head was laying on a bed of metal her body bent slightly back as something was pushing on her back making her unable to lay flat while her legs seemed to be pinned under at least two seats, "Ash?" the choked whisper broke her from the shock.

"God Spence," Ashley crawled over which wasn't very far as the entire fortress was only a few feet wide barely big enough for the both of them to be in there.

"Ash?" she said again this time a bit louder her eyes blinking rapidly as she searched around her, Ashley put her hand over her mouth trying to figure out what to do, "What happened?"

"I...I don't know,"

"Are you okay?" Spencer asked trying to sit up only to cry out in pain and fall back down.

"Don't move," Ashley chided, placing her shaking hand on the seat trapping Spencer's legs as bent down to see if there was a way to could remove it but the seats were jammed in tight.

"I can't feel my legs!" the blond tried to shift, "Ashley...Ash...I-I c-can't feel m-my legs!"

"Calm down, okay just...um you're stuck under some seats."

"Get me out," she screamed getting scared.

"I can't,"

"Damn it Ashley get me out of this," she sat up again freaking out trying to reach forward and push the seats off but before she even sat up half way she was falling back.

"Spencer stop it I can't...it's too heavy!" Ashley laid a hand on her friend's shoulder to keep her from sitting up again. Silence over took them, in the quietness they heard tiny pebbles falling and electricity flowing.

"What happened?" Spencer asked staring up at the side of the bus, through a window and to the top of the tunnel.

"I don't know," Ashley repeated digging into her pocket pulling out her cell phone dialing 9-1-1 for help, "Just lay still please?" the brunette begged receiving a slight nod just as someone answered.

"9-1-1 what's your emergency?" an old female voice filtered in.

"My friend and I were in an accident and were hurt and the driver is dead and..." 

"Okay slow down miss what is your name?"

"Ashley Davies,"

"Ashley can you tell me what happened?"

"We're on a school field trip and got in trouble, the bus driver found us on the bus and took us for some lunch we're in the West 23rd Tunnel..."

"Wait did you...did you say the West 23rd Tunnel?" she asked, even through the phone Ashley could hear the distress.

"Yeah why?"

"Hold on..." Ashley stared at the phone in disbelieve..._hold on, hold on is she fucking kidding me. I have a broken leg my friend is trapped and she wants me to hold on what a prick._

"Is this Ashley Davies?" a male voice broke through her thoughts he sounded young maybe twenty four or twenty five.

"Yes and what the fuck is that putting me on hold!" she screamed into the device and even though she was mad she had to smile when she heard Spencer giggle at her.

"Sorry about that miss, my name is Lt. Dennison." He spoke calmly, "You are on a school bus is that correct?" he asked remembering all the information that the operator gave him.

"Yes we are on a school field trip,"

"Are there other students?"

"Just my friend Spencer Carlin, we got in trouble and had to wait on the bus." She rolled her eyes not knowing how this simple conversation would save them, "He took us out to lunch."

"Where are you in the tunnel can you tell?"

"No, we came from Westmont Astronomy Museum."

"Shit," he cursed quietly away from the phone oblivious that she heard him and was now getting even more scared, "Listen you are on the north side. The structure on that side is too badly damaged so we can't go in through it, we're working on the south side but it's going to take awhile to get to you."

"How long?" her voice cracked.

"I don't know, a couple hours or at least a day but we are working as fast as possible."

"What happened?"

"A few of the beams weren't put in correctly and buckled under pressure the whole tunnel collapsed. Now are you hurt?"

"Yes,"

"Okay you need to tell me how you're hurt so I can help you."

"My leg is broken,"

"How do you know?"

"The bone was sticking out," she scoffed at him indicating she was possibly too stupid to know if her leg was broken or not.

"Was?"

"Yes I pushed it back in and made a splint."

"Good job now anything else?"

"I have a cut above my right eye and my head hurts."

"What kind of pain?" 

"Like a dull throbbing."

"Sounds like you have a mild concussion, any thing else?" 

"Not on me,"

"Okay than tell me about your friend Spencer,"

"Ash?" Ashley glanced over to her friend who didn't seem to be doing so well.

"What?"

Spencer grimaced in pain before coughing, "Are parents?"

"Right, um have our parents been called?" she asked back into the phone.

"Yes, we notified your parents and your teacher now what about your friend?"

"Her legs are um stuck underneath two seats..."

"I need you to see if the legs are cut or just pinned."

"Okay," she set her phone down on the seats that held Spencer down and scooted closer twisting to see if she could see anything in the dark, picking the phone up again, "They seem fine just pinned but it is dark."

She heard him sigh knowing that he needed more to go on but she wasn't a doctor and the lighting sucked, "Any other injuries?"

Ashley scanned the blonde's body, from her legs up to her pelvis past her stomach, "Wait Spencer pull your shirt up?"

"Why?" she raised an eye brow.

"Just do it," rolling her eyes Spencer lifted her shirt hearing Ashley gasp.

"What?" Spencer looked down her blue eyes widening they both knew what it was but silently praying that it wasn't.

"Ashley talk to me," Lt. Dennison called out.

"She has a bruise on her stomach,"

"What does it look like?"

"I don't know," but she did know, "black and purplish with some red." She finally relented.

"Don't panic but your friend as internal bleeding. Keep an eye on her will be there as soon as possible." He hung up on her.

"What did he say?" Spencer's eyes were huge and scared like big saucers.

"Internal bleeding," Ashley repeated with out looking up.

"Ash?" but the brunette couldn't look up. They both knew that if someone didn't show up soon Spencer may not make it and if she saw those blue eyes right now she'd lose it and she had to be strong, "Come here."

Ashley slid up to the blond who made Ashley lay on her side and put her head on Spencer's chest, the brunette could hear the girl wheezing causing tears to spring up, "Spencer..." she cried out.

"It's okay...I'm okay Ash," she lied trying to make her friend feel better, "I'm okay."

"You're not Spencie your not!" Ashley told her with out lifting her head.

"Yes I' am," soon Spencer was singing and stroking Ashley's hair more to keep from thinking about her own injuries than keeping Ashley sane which made her feel guilty. Eventually the two fell asleep.

TBC.


	3. Chapter 3

Spencer's eyes fluttered open staring into the dark, up at the broken windows of the bus, her whole body was sore and she felt nauseous, "Ash?"

Ashley was still curled up into Spencer her breathing a bit uneven but she did not move when her name was called.

"Ashley?" Spencer moved so she was on her elbows and although it hurt she pushed the pain to the back of her head, "Ashley?" she shook her friend who still did not wake up, "Ashley...Ashley wake up please!" her voice said it all on how much she was starting to panic.

The blond took several deep breaths trying to control her breathing, tears were beginning to form at the corner of her eyes as she desperately tried to wake the other girl up, "Ashley...please I'm sorry...please wake up, I need you..." she kissed Ashley's forehead while brushing auburn hair out of the teen's face pleading in a whisper the whole time for Ashley to wake up.

"Spence?" the voice was weak but came through loud and clear for Spencer whose smile could have lit up the entire USA at the moment.

"Ashley!" she squealed throwing her arms around the girl pulling her tight into her chest and sobbing.

"What's wrong?"

"You...wake...up..." she coughed out but Ashley didn't need any more words because she pieced it together, she felt like an idiot for falling asleep when she knew she might have a concussion.

"I'm sorry," Ashley whispered back holding the girl who was shaking and coughing through her tears. Spencer stopped moving in her arms, "What's wrong?" Ashley asked frightened but Spencer didn't say anything instead the blond pulled back slowly her blue eyes fixated on Ashley's shirt, brown eyes looked down to see a glob of blood on her shirt from where Spencer coughed it up.

"I...didn't mean to..."

"It's okay," Ashley assured her as she heard her phone going off, "Hello?"

"Ashley its Lt. Dennison how are you guys doing?" she could hear how tired he was and she was happy he wasn't one of those cops who made others do the work.

"Not so good,"

"What does that mean?" he asked, the sound of yelling and vehicles blasting through the phone speaker.

"I fell asleep and almost didn't wake up and Spencer just coughed up some blood."

"Okay listen Ashley I need you to do me a favor," he paused trying to collect his thoughts, "We need to you to get off the bus..."

"...No I can't leave Spencer," she interrupted him.

"Than you don't want rescuing," he shot back, "Look we are having trouble getting through and you need to make a hole or something to crawl through so you can lead us back to where the bus is."

Ashley sat quietly trying to get all her thoughts in order, "Fine."

"Okay good, when you've made it through call me back." She nodded although knew he couldn't see her before hanging up.

"What do you mean leave me?" Spencer questioned, her back was starting to hurt a bit more from the angle she was in.

"They want me to make a hole through the rocks so I can lead them back here." Spencer started shaking her head, "Spence I need to we...you need help."

"No...Don't leave me here please," she pleaded grabbing Ashley and pulling her closer to her trying to feel warmth instead of the dark cold.

"I'm not leaving you I'll be back," Ashley soothed.

Spencer pulled away, "No you won't,"

"Yes I will," she assured her.

"No...After this will just go back to how it was, you're not coming back to me."

"I think you have it the other way you're the one pulling away from me." Ashley spat out angrily not knowing when this conversation turned from her leaving the bus to her leaving for real.

Spencer dropped her head knowing that Ashley was right she was the one pulling away, "Ashie I'm sorry..." she wanted to continue but she didn't want her true feelings coming out in this dangerous time, she didn't want Ashley to think it was just because she felt like she might die which at the moment she was desperately trying not to think about.

"For what?"

Spencer bit her lip before glancing up into those familiar brown eyes, fuck it, she thought, "Ashley I love you."

"I love..."

"...I'm in love with you." She cut Ashley's words off not wanting to hear the words echoed in this dark place only to know it was meant for friends. Ashley was silent for a long time, "Ashley?"

"I know," she spoke quietly.

"You know I'm in love with you?"

Ashley shook her head, "No I didn't know that I know your waiting for an answer." She breathlessly chuckled.

"Oh."

"I'm with Tracy,"

"I know,"

"Is that why you've been avoiding me?" Ashley wondered and received a nod, "I wish you would have told me."

"I was going to...the day you came out to me, that's the reason I came over to tell you I was...that I' am gay and in love with you. But you liked someone else."

"You still could have told me you were gay," Ashley sat back unsure how she felt at the moment.

"I couldn't...I...my heart broke and I didn't want you to ask me who I liked because I didn't want to lie."

Again the bus became silent neither of them knew what to do or say to move this along, "I have to go." Ashley started moving toward the hole she'd crawled into to get to Spencer.

"Please don't leave me," Spencer whimpered and Ashley knew it wasn't just a plea about being alone on the bus.

"Spencie..." she warned as she turned around, "I'll be back." Staring at her friend all small and innocent staring at the floor all the emotions rushed into as she realized that she did care for Spencer more than a friend but could she cheat on Tracy or dump her for that matter, Ashley loved her girlfriend but at this moment Tracy had never really entered her mind. Ashley rushed forward capturing Spencer's lips with in hers, the kiss lasted mere seconds and Spencer hardly participated at all with how shocked she was but when Ashley pulled back and brushed hair behind Spencer's head with a smile tears started to form.

"What did that mean?" Spencer wondered.

Ashley wiped her tears away, "I don't know but when we get out we'll figure it out."

"What about Tracy?"

"We'll figure it out."

"Promise?"

Ashley leaned down and kissed her again only this time Spencer participated, tongues slipped past the line massaging each others, pulling away out of breath, "Promise...but I have to go."

Spencer nodded, "I love you." Ashley sadly smiled but said nothing as she crawled out of the hidden fort Spencer was stuck in. Once outside she took a deep breath and tried not to think about the fact that she didn't say it back and that she might not see her friend again.

TBC.


	4. Chapter 4

Ashley took a deep breath and walked away from Spencer's make shift prison, well more like hobbled away, dragging her broken leg with her. She pushed fabric, seats, glass and anything else out of her way. The bus driver was in view again and she swallowed down the feeling of puking, death clung to the air inside this bus and she was desperate to get out.

Licking her lips she allowed her brown eyes to search the bus for a way which wasn't going to be easy with the bus tipped over with the door pressed into broken concrete. Stepping over the body she neared the windshield, ducking low beneath the driver seat, she groaned in annoyance. There was no way out the front windshield because of another car pressed tight into it, rolling her eyes she stepped back over the dead bus driver, for a fleeting moment she wondered what his name was, did he have kids or a wife or possibly a husband or boyfriend, did he go to the gym and donate to charity or was he the kind of guy to hog his money and pig out on fast food at every meal.

Shaking her head to clear the disturbing thoughts from her mind, brown orbs squinted in the darkness searching for anything, any other way out. Leaning her head back staring up to the ceiling, twisted metal and broken windows met her gaze. It seemed the only way out was up and through the windows. Biting her lip in thought trying to figure how to accomplish this task.

Crawling up a pile of mangled seats gave her enough height to reach her arms up to the edges of the window of her choice where all the glass had been knocked out. Yanking her self up wasn't easy, she was no body builder and the leg brace was adding more weight. Her head passed through, breath caught, so many cars turned over, the walls of the tunnel caved in on top of vehicles, water dripping and in the far distance she could see a tiny fire starting to flicker to life.

Arms giving out her body collapsed back into the bus, she was too weak to get out. Frustrated she picked up a metal pipe and threw it hard to the other side of the bus, watching it collide with what used to be the top of the bus, the phone rang again so she dug it out of her pocket, "Yeah?" she barked out not in the mood to be nice.

"Baby, are you okay? I heard it on the news but I didn't believe it but you're there and oh my god Ash please tell me you okay because…"

"Tracy sweetie calm down okay," Ashley cut off her frantic girlfriend.

"So your okay right?" the brunette could hear the tears drifting down Tracy's cheeks.

Ashley nodded although she knew the girl couldn't see her, "Yes I'm fine a bit banged up…"

"And Spencer is she fine?"

"Look Tracy when we get out I'll talk to you but right now I need this line cleared okay babe I'm almost out of battery."

"Okay just please be careful and tell Spencer everything is going to be okay because I know how she gets," Tracy chuckled trying to hide the fear but Ashley easily detected it.

"Will do,"

"I love you," Tracy whispered out.

Ashley closed her eyes as tears threatened to fall, "Same here," and she closed the phone before anything else was said. She really wanted to say those three words, she'd said them before and meant it but with Spencer's declaration it felt wrong to say it. A tear strayed down her cheek quickly she wiped it away, _I love them both but I don't know ever since Spencer told me like ten minutes ago well, I think I like her too. She's always been there for me and always has my back but Tracy is my first girlfriend that I really care about, why did she have to tell me now?_

The phone rang again interrupting her inner turmoil, "Hello?"

"Ashley, how are you doing?" Lt. Dennison spoke loudly into the phone.

"I can't get out of the bus," she said back as more tears fell. She felt helpless and scared.

"Ashley I need you to calm down okay," he soothed, "its okay. Go back to your friend, we've made it through the first layer. We're getting people out as we go, we should be there soon, just hold on okay?"

"Okay," she whimped and hung up. Choking down the rest of her sobs she collected herself and stumbled back to the fort than climbed in, "Guess I don't have to leave after all Spen...SPENCER!" Ashley slid in quickly rushing to her friend's side. The girl had her eyes closed and it didn't look like she was breathing at all, "No…No…wake up honey please, Spencer wake up, wake up!"

The blonde's head lolled to the side than back again as the brunette shook her, blue eyes fluttered open, "Ash?" it was no more than a weak whisper barely audible but it caught Ashley's attention.

"Oh God Spencer don't do that ever again, ever, you hear me!" she screamed hugging the girl tighter.

"Can't…breathe," she rasped out as the brunette grasped her tighter and tighter.

"Sorry," sitting up she took in the other girl's appearance. Blonde hair a mess, mattered with sweat and dirt. Blue eyes dim but still radiating so much life that Ashley got lost in a sea of memories, a sweet smile aimed toward the brunette even through pain and uneasiness. _How did I not see it…she's so beautiful even in this hell and she's not showing that she's in pain because she doesn't want me to worry._ At that moment Ashley realized that she did truly love Spencer in every way that the blonde loved her.

"Ashie are you okay?" Spencer reached up the best she could caressing a warm wet cheek.

"Spencie I lo…."

"Spencer, Ashley, its Lt. Dennison!" a ruff voice echoed into the bus cutting off what every the brunette was going to say.

"We're in here!" the two girls screamed at the same time.

The yelling caused Spencer to start coughing more blood dripped down her chin, "Help someone!" Ashley screamed in fear, "Spencer hold on!"

Almost immediately the chairs around them began to move, rescue workers moved in pushing Ashley away and getting the two seats holding Spencer's legs down. The two were pulled from the bus and carried down the tunnel to the hole they'd dug out.

Once out side the night sky was in view, lights flashed from police cars, fire engines and ambulances. People on stretches, crying, screaming, searching for loved ones, it looked like a war zone. Stars shone so bright and the moon had a ring around it.

Spencer was put on a stretcher, Ashley leaned over her pushing hair out of her face, "I'm right here Spence…I'm not going anywhere I love you."

Spencer smiled but Ashley could see she didn't believe her, "Tracy…" she coughed out.

Ashley didn't know how to tell Spencer everything she'd been feeling since it all happened so leaned down and kissed her, brushing her tongue in and tasting the essence of the girl below her, "Excuse me miss we have to go!" an paramedic cleared his throat.

Ashley pulled away with a smile as they put Spencer in the ambulance, "I'll see you at the hospital!" she shouted as the doors closed and the ambulance drove off.

"Are you alright Miss.?" A female asked.

"Yeah why?"

"You have blood on your lips," the woman pointed out. Ashley reached up and felt the liquid coating her pale cracked lips like lipstick or gloss and she realized it was Spencer's blood.

"A Crimson Kiss," she whispered to her self before looking up at the woman who was staring at her waiting for an answer, "Can I go to the hospital?"

The woman nodded and got Ashley set up and heading off to the hospital where she'd planned to tell Tracy the news and spend every waking minute making it up to Spencer for not seeing it before hand and hoping to share more sweet moments and tasting crimson kisses.

The End.


End file.
